Yesterday was an absolute delight as Nintendo held their first E3 presentation since 2019. The presentation was sure to have a little something for just about any gamer and seems to have shaped the rest of 2021 into a fantastic year for Nintendo gamers across the globe.

If you missed the big event or need a little recap, then be sure to check out our overview right after the break!

Smashing your Demons

After a little introduction from Shinya Takahashi and Yoshiaki Koizumi, mentioning how the Nintendo Switch is entering its fifth year (already?), we are greeted by a most dark and dire scene. A muscular character atop an intimidating cliff sacrifices a limp and lifeless Ganondorf into a fiery volcanic pit. This character is none other than Tekken veteran, Kazuya, and he’s been invited to join the roster in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

After a brief montage of Kazuya obliterating various other characters in-game, we return to the sacrificial clifftop as he disposes of various more characters only to transform into his demonic form. More in-game footage ensues, giving a brief detail to his fighting style, followed by one more trip to the mountain where he attempts to end Kirby… thankfully that pink puffball is playing ball and just floats off moments later.

The segment concludes with Ultimate’s director, Masahiro Sakurai, saying that there will be more details to share in a future, not-yet-recorded, presentation on the 28th June 2021. No release date has been set for Kazuya, though we likely won’t have long to wait.

People Are Strange… and so is Life

Up next is an animated cinematic leading up to the announcement that both Life is Strange: True Colors and Life is Strange: Remastered Collection is officially heading Switch-bound on the 10th September and later this year respectively. This may be the perfect opportunity to get into the series for those who never got the chance… myself included!

Teaching Marvels, Rumbling Demigods

The next segment is a quadruple whammy of Nintendo Switch ports. The first announcement brings word that the recently revealed Guardians of the Galaxy game by Square Enix is coming to the Switch on the 26th October 2021. Though it wasn’t mentioned during the presentation, the official Twitter account for the game mentioned that this will be a cloud version, meaning that you will have to be connected to the internet to be able to stream it.

Last year saw the launch of a particularly different Worms title, Worms Rumble. Instead of the usual turn-based strategy, the game opts for a 32 player, action-orientated battle royale format, it also never saw the light of day on Nintendo Switch… until now that is. It was announced that, not only would the title release next week on the 23rd June 2021, but it will also launch with a new map available to everyone, and a Nintendo Switch exclusive outfit for free for two weeks. Did we mention the game supports cross platform multiplayer?

This next announcement for this segment lets loose that Astria Ascending is, I’m sure you can guess by now, coming to Nintendo Switch. Assemble your team of demigods in this stylistic RPG from the 30th September 2021.

Though already confirmed last week, Nintendo are kindly aiding us with our revision that Two Point Campus is heading to Nintendo Switch later next year. What’s a better game to play during lectures than one where you can run them instead!

Monkey Balling Around

2021 is a year of milestones for many beloved franchises, including the 20th anniversary for Super Monkey Ball. To celebrate, SEGA are bringing a remastered collection of the first three games to Nintendo Switch with Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania. I was smiling so much during this trailer (my cheeks still hurt a tad) especially since I haven’t played any of the titles before Touch and Roll, so this will surely be a treat that’ll make me go bananas!

Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania rolls onto Nintendo Switch on the 5th October 2021.

You’re the Superstar!

One of my fondest N64 memories was playing Mario Party with our family friends from London and it seems those memories will come rushing back this October thanks to the announcement of Mario Party Superstars.

This new title, which seems to be everything The Top 100 should’ve been, comes with five boards from the N64 era remade from the ground up, online multiplayer with mid-game saving, and more than 100 minigames from the Mario Party back catalogue… let’s just hope Chance Time doesn’t rear its ugly head!

Mario Party Superstars bring the party to Nintendo Switch on the 29th October 2021.

Dread at Five

Teased nearly sixteen years ago, we finally get a glimpse and, more importantly, release date for Samus’ continuation from Metroid Fusion. Metroid Dread is finally here and boy does the title fit the atmosphere.

The trailer follows Samus into a creepy facility where she is ambushed by a supposedly indestructible Extraplanetary Multiform Mobile Identifier (E.M.M.I. for short). After giving chase and essentially ‘dealing’ with Samus, we are treated to more crisp and fluid gameplay. Not only that, but we are also told that a double amiibo pack, containing a figure of Fusion Suit Samus and a white E.M.M.I., will be launching along with Metroid 5.

The only thing to dread at the moment is the wait as Metroid Dread lands on Nintendo Switch on the 8th October 2021.

Groovin’ Cruis’n and Dragon Ball Golf’n

More Nintendo Switch headlines ahead with Just Dance 2022 launching for Nintendo Switch on the 4th November 2021, Cruis’n Blast landing console exclusivity later this Autumn, and Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot + A New Power Awakens Set finally coming Switch bound on the 24th September 2021.

We are also treated to another overview trailer of Mario Golf: Super Rush prior to next week’s 25th June release. Though we more or less see what has already been revealed previously, we do learn that the title will receive free post-launch updates containing new courses and characters, including a course based on New Donk City from Super Mario Odyssey.

The segment concludes with another gameplay trailer for Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin, which launches for Nintendo Switch on the 9th July 2021.

WarioWhere?

It seems Wario is back with some pretty terrible… oops, I mean awesome microgames. Things are a little different however as, instead of playing the games yourself, it seems you’ll be controlling the characters in the games instead. In addition to this, it seems different characters can all play a lot of the same microgames but with different abilities depending on who you play as.

That’s not all, for the first time in the series, two players can play at the same time to help each other out… or not; it’s your friendship, you decide whether to fronk with them or not!

WarioWare Get It Together schemes its way to Nintendo Switch on the 10th September 2021

Angels, Demons, and High Schoolers

Think high school is boring? Well yours probably doesn’t have an inter-dimensional portal that transports you into a post-apocalyptic version of Tokyo where angels and demons run rampant like Shin Megami Tensei V’s protagonist does. Lucky for them a mysterious figure fused with them, granting the ability to fight these pesky creatures.

If a demon truly realises your power, you may be able to negotiate an alliance, recruiting them to fight alongside you instead. Getting tired of their current form? Why not try fusing different demons to make a brand new one instead, making for an even more formidable ally.

Shin Megami Tensei V launches exclusively for Nintendo Switch on the 12th November 2021.

A Decadent Return

You thought inter-dimensional portals in your high school were bad? Try going to one taken over by a psychotic, yet strangely adorable, bear! That’s just what you’ll experience when this collection of Danganronpa remasters takes over Nintendo Switch later this year. Take on murder mysteries in Danganronpa 1, 2, and V3, then play a deranged board game in the bonus stand-alone title, Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp, based off the bonus game from V3.

Danganronpa Decadence launches as a physical exclusive later this year.

I ain’t afraid of no Ghost!

An unsettling Wii U title is creeping its way onto Nintendo Switch later this year. Explore the mysterious Mt. Hikami to research the various deaths and disappearances. Players be warned as you may uncover something a lot more sinister as you return to Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water… known as Fatal Frame in other territories.

Capture the horror on Nintendo Switch later this year!

Catching up with Skaters, Gods, and Witch Queens

The Nintendo Switch may be behind on a couple releases but now it’s time to bask in the glory with some new release dates With Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods Part One, you’ll also be basking in the bloodshed of monstrous demons while jamming to Doom’s tech metal soundtrack… Did we mention you can bask in all that right now?

If slaying demons isn’t your thing, then perhaps you’d rather the thrill of grinding those rails in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, launching for Nintendo Switch on the 25th June 2021.

Back to the bloodshed, there’s also an army of mummified horrors, devious puzzles, and hazardous booby traps to take on alone or with a friend in Strange Brigade, available now for Nintendo Switch.

Space Rabbid-ness

Announced earlier during Ubisoft’s E3 presentation, Nintendo showed off a little more of what we can expect from Mario + Rabbids Spark of Hope, sequel to the 2017 hit, Kingdom Battle. Take on a new inter-galactic threat through exploration and updated turn-based tactical combat that allows even more freedom while fighting your zany foes.

Mario + Rabbids Spark of Hope launches exclusively for Nintendo Switch in 2022… I should really finish the original sometime!

Re-Boot Camp

Another franchise is getting a revival of sorts as Way Forward revitalises Advance Wars 1 and Advance Wars 2. Rebuilt from the ground up, lead Orange Star Nation to victory in Advance Wars 1+2 Re-Boot Camp, fighting its way to Nintendo Switch on the 3rd December 2021.

Finally, we can play as a Guardian!

New details have finally arrived regarding Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity’s first wave of DLC, titled Pulse of the Ancients, which will really see players fighting in style. First of all, as mentioned in the heading, we can now finally fight as a Guardian, perfect for trampling and blasting hordes of Calamity Ganon’s minions without sacrificing manoeuvrability.

Next, Link has donned a brand new type of weapon, the Flail. This technological marvel can flail and grapple at enemies, adding a bit more range to Link’s regular attack. Link isn’t the only one getting a new weapon as Zelda can now wield the Master Cycle, literally making enemies eat her dust… and dirt.

Pulse of the Ancients will be slashing its way onto Switch with all that plus a brand new Apocalyptic difficulty, new challenges from the Royal Ancient Lab, and higher ranked enemies from this Friday the 18th June 2021.

Timeless Adventures

Eiji Aonuma, current producer of The Legend of Zelda Games, politely reminded us all to look forward to Skyward Sword HD when it launches on the 16th July 2021.

He then went on to announce something a little different… a limited edition Game & Watch system to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the series. Similar to the Super Mario 35th anniversary Game & Watch, this version comes packed with some of the earlier games in the series, more specifically: The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, and The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. Additionally, a special edition of Game & Watch Vermin will also be playable featuring Link and, what seems to be, Octoroks. The system also comes with an interactive clock and timer inspired by The Legend of Zelda and Zelda II respectively.

Relive these timeless adventures when Game & Watch The Legend of Zelda launches on the 12th November 2021.

Although Aonuma mentioned that Nintendo did not have anything else planned to celebrate Zelda’s 35th, he did have one last thing to show us…

Breath of an Untitled Sequel

Two years ago, Nintendo announced a sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild along with a super creepy teaser trailer… today we finally get a peek of what to expect from the still untitled game; technically there is a title, Nintendo just don’t want to share it quite yet.

Starting with a cinematic of Zelda plummeting to an unknown fate, this is quickly followed by a shot of Link also plummeting, but this time high up in a bright sky which definitely gives off some Skyward Sword vibes. More gameplay is shown off, exhibiting some creepy new enemies, sky-bound landscapes, and even some really cool abilities, such as being able to turn into a liquid… or Linkuid!

The trailer concludes with a beautiful landscape, sullen by Hyrule Castle being torn from the ground, along with a number… 2022.


Thus concludes Nintendo’s E3 2021 Direct and my lengthy, yet to the point summary. I honestly loved just about every moment of the direct and may have even cried two or three times during it. It’s fantastic that Samus’ adventure from Metroid Fusion is finally getting a follow up after so many years, and I absolutely cannot wait to see what’s in store with the Breath of the Wild sequel. It’s also great that Nintendo seems to be fixing what went wrong from The Top 100 with Mario Party Superstars, and I have also been intrigued by several different series I’ve not dabbled in before.

What are your thoughts though? Let us know in the comments below or over on social media!

Leon Fletcher

I am a huge Nintendo fan, hence why NintyBuzz exists. I especially love all things Zelda and Metroid. NintyBuzz was started by me back in the Summer of 2014, it started out mainly as a hobby, though the site has gradually grown, and I hope it grows for many years to come!